Labor to set gender targets for Australia Day honours

Labor will introduce gender targets into the Australia Day honours system if it wins the election.

Tanya Plibersek. Picture: Hollie Adams.

Labor will introduce gender targets into the Australia Day honours system if it wins the election.

Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek said Labor would set targets for 40 per cent female recipients of Order of Australia awards by 2020.

Ms Plibersek said women receive on average 30 per cent of Order of Australia awards, flagging plans to overhaul the award categories.

“If we believe that Australian women are making as important contribution to our public life, our volunteering and so on as men then there is obviously something wrong with the nomination system,” Ms Plibersek said.

“If you have a look there are stand-alone categories, for example, for mining, for engineering, for primary industries and so on.

“But the areas where women traditionally work or volunteer are often subsumed in other categories.

“Nursing, for example, has no stand-alone category. It falls under the general category of medicine.”

Labor will also monitor data to see if indigenous people and disabled people are under-represented.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne has poured cold water on Labor’s proposal to set gender targets for Australia Day honours.

The Morrison government’s most senior woman said there was “more than enough fabulous Australian women” that could apply for Australia Day honours without the need for Labor’s 40 per cent target.

“I would always encourage the nomination of fabulous Australian women in the honours process and encourage the national Australia Day board or committee to consider those,” Senator Payne said.

“I have not considered the idea of quotas in regards to that but I think there is more than enough fabulous Australian women to fill the honours application process without needing quotas.”